Pregnant women who are sentenced to jail but who are not a safety risk should not have to give birth in jail. Babies should not be born behind bars. And the state should make the sensible policy choice to keep mothers and newborns together, and out of jail, during the critical first weeks of a child’s life.

The House Judiciary Committee could consider HB 54 as soon as this week. They need to hear from you that they should vote YES on HB 54.

Alabama needs to do more to address the urgent issue of improving maternal and infant health across our state. HB 54 would take an important step toward advancing that goal in the state’s criminal justice system.